Just looking for suggestions regarding aftermarket disc brakes. I just installed a set of 18" SS wheels and would like to upgrade the front discs at some point. Any suggestions based on personal experience? Thanks, Jim

 

Brembo's are always popular. Also EBC.

 

Check out Todd at TCE:

http://www.tceperformanceproducts.co...s.pl?record=27

They are a Supporting Vendor with Quality Options for your HHR !

Good Luck,

 

19,000 miles on slotted / drilled rotors from R1 Concepts....

No problems....smooth as glass.

Cajun / Al

 

Today I'm installing EBC slotted/dimple rotors with the EBC Red Stuff pads. I will post here after I drive around for a while.

 

Believe it or not, the BRAND NEW EBC brakes were warped right out of the box, or so we found out after we installed them. Now I've heard tell that you CAN'T turn slotted/dimple rotors, well...

My wonderful mechanic (of 22 years) very, very carefully turned the rotors and eliminated the shimmy / vibration when the new brakes are now used. I won't know how truly wonderful they are for a few hundred miles; my mechanic told me NOT to brake "hard" for at least 500 miles; 1,000 mile would be better. So I will report back in after some more mileage.

Suffice to say, they are smooth as glass right now.

Sincerely,

 

Always check for run out even on brand new rotors. Also to the the OP i would talk with todd at TCE that what i plan on doing eventually.

 

I did other posts on this topic. Had my factory rotors cut twice, didnt last long. Finally, bought EBC slotted rotors with red pads. Worked great until I hit 1500 miles, then developed vibration so bad I feared stepping on the brakes. Tried to contact EBC, but no phone number. I emailed them twice and got no reply (their website does state that they will not answer emails if they feel the topic is covered on their website). Buried inside, they have directions as to which side to put the rotors on (nothing mentioned in the instructions or the box) as well as a disclaimer that if you start to get vibration at around 2000 miles, it is due to disc thickness variation and not their fault. I tried switching the rotors to the other side, checked for warpage, etc with no luck. Finally, I put the car on a front end lift, raised the front and took off the wheels then started the engine. You could see that they were both warped and OUT OF ROUND! In other words, they were not machined very well. I bought a set of R1 Concept rotors and pads, and so far (knock on wood) they are smooth as silk. My only problem now is how to return the crappy EBC's.

 

Maybe you could use them as Discus to practice for the USA Senior Olympic Team ! In life sometimes it's best to just cut your ties! Maybe your best refund is to just let everyone know what didn't work for you and what is working for you now ! Couldn't begin to count how many times I've spent Good money on a Poor product !

 

I feel bad because I didnt just rush into getting the parts. I researched them, and read a lot of reviews before buying them. After I got them, I started hearing about other people having problems. But the really frustrating part that I never imagined was not being able to talk to them. Even the dealer I bought them through has no contact phone number for EBC. Makes you wonder what kind of company they are. R1, on the other hand, has a very friendly and helpful staff that will talk to you on the phone.